Gay Muslims – find out more
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Support groups
Al-fatiha Foundation
PO Box 33015
Washington DC 20033
USA
Tel: (001) 202 452 5534
E-mail: gaymuslims@yahoo.com
Website: www.al-fatiha.org
An international organisation dedicated to Muslims who are lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, and their allies, families
and friends.
Imaan
PO Box 5369
London W1A 6SD
Tel (mobile): 07849 170793 and 07951 770735
E-mail: info@imaan.org.uk
Website: www.imaan.org.uk
A UK-based social support group for Muslim lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, those questioning their sexuality or gender identity,
and their friends and supporters.
Kiss
Tel: 020 8741 1879 (Parminder at Naz
Project London)
Website: www.planetkiss.org.uk
Social support group made up of women who identify as lesbian,
bisexual or queer and are of South Asian, Middle Eastern or North
African descent. Some have been 'out' for a long time whilst others
are just 'coming out'. The women meet up once a month in London.
Muslim Gay Men
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/muslimgaymen/
Discussion, information and support resource for believing Muslim
gay men around the globe.
Muslim Youth Helpline
Helpline: 0808 808 2008 (Mon-Fri 6pm-12am; Sat-Sun 12pm-12am)
E-mail: help@myh.org.uk
Website: www.myh.org.uk/index.htm
A confidential helpline where any young Muslim can talk about anything,
including issues related to sexuality. No call will ever be traced
and no one will ask your name.
NAZ Project London
Palingswick House
241 King Street
London W6 9LP
Tel: 020 8741 1879
E-mail npl@naz.org.uk
Website: www.naz.org.uk/men/mensupport.html
Provides emotional, health and sexual health support to South Asians,
Muslims and other minority groups in the UK.
Safra Project
PO Box 45079
London N4 3YD
E-mail: info@safraproject.org
Website: www.safraproject.org
A resource project working on issues relating to lesbian, bisexual,
trans, queer and questioning women who identify as Muslim religiously
and/or culturally. Safra Social Group meets monthly in the UK – check
website events notice for dates and venues.
Websites
Canadian Muslim Group Endorses Same-Sex Marriage Legislation
www.muslimwakeup.com/main/archives/2005/02/
canadian_muslim_1.php
Article looking at the recent legislation in Canada which redefines
marriage to include same-sex partners.
Gay Middle-East (GME)
www.gaymiddleeast.com
Full of news and information on LGBT issues in the countries of
the Middle East.
Huriyah/Freedom
http://huriyahmag.com
Online magazine for LGBT Muslims, which includes articles, advice,
book reviews, links and more.
An Islamic Revolutionary
www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,544059,00.html
Guardian interview in of Adnan Ali, a gay Muslim who
founded the organisation Al-Fatiha, which supports LGBT Muslims.
Kaos GL
http://news.kaosgl.com/
Founded in 1994 to unite Turkey's homosexuals in the struggle against
discrimination, the group's philosophy is that the liberation of
homosexuals will also free heterosexuals. The group publishes a
quarterly journal and owns a cultural centre.
Queer Sexuality and Identity in the Qur'an and the Hadith
www.well.com/user/aquarius/Qurannotes.htm
Detailed article on what the Qur'an says about same-sex relationships.
Same-Sex Sexual Activity and Lesbian and Bisexual Women
www.brandeis.edu/projects/fse/Pages/femalehomosexuality.html
Article from the Feminist Sexual Ethics Project website which argues
that, despite current conventional wisdom to the contrary, same-sex
sexual expression has been a recognised aspect of Muslim societies
for many centuries.
Sodom and the Koran
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/al-fatiha-news/message/45
Raza Griffiths tackles the controversial question of whether a
person can be gay and a Muslim, and the issues surrounding religious
homophobia.
More from 4
Hajj
www.channel4.com/life/microsites/H/hajj/index.html
Excellent coverage and information on the history of the Hajj pilgrimage.
Islam Unveiled
www.channel4.com/culture/microsites/I/islam_unveiled/
Explores global issues relating to women in Islam today.
Origination
www.channel4.com/origination
Gateway site linking to a large number of projects and websites
on the diversity of British culture.
Sex: Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual
www.channel4.com/health/microsites/0-9/4health/sex/lgb_index.html
Lots of articles and useful info on this ‘sex’ section
of the Channel 4 Health site.
Shariah TV
www.channel4.com/shariahtv
Looks at the wealth of cultural and religious traditions Muslims
have brought to Britain and creative ways in which they express
their identities in the secular society in which they work and
play.
Books
Islam: A short history by Karen Armstrong (Phoenix
Press, 2001)
Traces how Islam grew from Judaism and Christianity and demonstrates
that, for much of its history, the religion has been a force for
enlightenment, which promoted liberties for women and allowed the
arts and sciences to flourish.
Get
this book
Islamic Homosexualities: Culture, history, and literature edited
by Stephen O Murray and Will Roscoe (New York University Press,
1997)
An important contribution to the study of a highly stigmatised
culture; the authors reveal that same-sex relations have, until
quite recently, been much more tolerated under Islam than in the
Christian West.
Get
this book
Progressive Muslims on Justice, Gender and Pluralism by
Omid Safi (Oneworld Publications, 2003)
Compendium of articles from prominent Muslim thinkers offering
a provocative reassessment of Islam's relationship with the modern
world. Confronting issues such as racism, justice, sexuality and
gender, there is a chapter by Scott Siraj Al-Haqq Kugle entitled ‘Sexuality,
Diversity and Ethics in the Agenda of Progressive Muslims’.
Get this book
Sex, Longing and Not Belonging: A gay Muslim's quest
for love and meaning by Badruddin Khan (Floating Lotus,
1997)
Rare first-person account of the author's experiences growing up
Muslim and gay in Pakistan.
Get this book
Journals
Initial Findings: Identifying the difficulties experienced
by lesbian, bisexual and transgender Muslim women in accessing
social and legal services by Safra Project (2002).
Can be downloaded from: www.safraproject.org/publications.htm
Mak Nyahs (Male Transsexuals) in Malaysia: The influence of
culture and religion on their identity by Y K Teh in The
International Journal of Transgenderism, Volume 5, No 3 (2001)
Link: www.symposion.com/ijt/ijtvo05no03_04.htm
A Minority within a minority: British non-heterosexual Muslims by
Dr Andrew Yip in The Report of Research Activities and Results
(2003)
Link: www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/
Plain_English_Summaries/governance_and_citizenship/
identity/index190.aspx
The Story of Lot and the Qur'an's Perception of the Morality
of Same-Sex Sexuality by Amreen Jamal in Journal of Homosexuality
41(1) (2001)
Can be purchased from the Journals section of the Haworh Press
website at www.haworthpress.com
